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  • look-over
    look-over
    noun
    a brief or superficial examination or reading.
  • look over
    look over
    verb
    (intr, preposition) to inspect by making a tour of (a factory, house, etc)
Synonyms

look-over

American  
[look-oh-ver] / ˈlɒɒkˌoʊ vər /

noun

  1. a brief or superficial examination or reading.


look over British  

verb

  1. (intr, preposition) to inspect by making a tour of (a factory, house, etc)

    we looked over the country house

  2. (tr, adverb) to examine (a document, letter, etc)

    please look the papers over quickly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. an inspection: often, specifically, a brief or cursory one

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
look over Idioms  
  1. Also, look up and down. Examine or inspect something or someone. For example, Jerry was looking over the books when he found an error, or They looked the new boy up and down. The first expression dates from the mid-1400s, the variant from the late 1800s.


Etymology

Origin of look-over

First recorded in 1905–10; noun use of verb phrase look over

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"If you look over the last 20, 30 years, there has been a prevalence, especially in summer, of those sort of anticyclonic conditions that are making heatwaves more likely," Buontempo told AFP.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

The first time he put the camera behind a row of fans, I had to look over the edge of my 3D glasses to double-check that those waving arms weren’t really in my theater.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Take a moment — ideally sometime before the hour you are rushing out the door — to look over whatever information the host has provided.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

I took a moment to look over the pitch, took a deep breath, and returned to give my former England and Leicester Tigers team-mate Lewis Moody a big hug.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

Dylan turns to look over his shoulder where a huge house sits between the trees.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

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